(1) Technical Field
This invention relates to a carpet, particularly to a carpet for an automotive vehicle. More particularly, it relates to a carpet suitable for the use in an automotive vehicle under such severe weather conditions that temperatures of the carpet are highly elevated by exposure to rays of the sun.
(2) Background Information
Conventionally, the carpets for automotive vehicles have been developed for the purpose of improving cushion, warm-keeping, sound-absorbing and sound-insulating properties. For example, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-79033/1981 proposes a process for producing a sound-insulting carpet, in which a mixture is pressed in a sheet form to adhere to a back surface of the carpet, the mixture comprising an ethylene copolymer and a compound which contains an inorganic filler in a high concentration and a synthetic resin soluble in the ethylene copolymer as a coagulant. Further, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 58-65079/1983 discloses a carpet for an automotive vehicle, which is backed with an asphaltic composition, and further laminated thereon with a non-woven fabric. Furthermore, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-67637/1981 shows a carpet provided with a pad for an automotive vehicle, the pad adhering to the carpet through a hot-melt adhesive which is previously applied to the pad.
However, it has recently been found that the carpet is not only faded or discolored, but also the pile yarns comprising synthetic fibers consisting of polymers such as polyesters, polyamides, polyolefines and polyacrylonitrile are extremely reduced in their strength, when the carpet is used under such severe weather conditions that the surface temperature of the carpet is elevated to more than 100.degree. C., for a prolonged period of time. In a very extreme case, the pile yarns cannot maintain their form to be crushed into powder with feet.
There have rarely been found the proposals for improving such light resistance of the carpet for the automotive vehicle. As one of such proposals, Japanese Patent Application Laid-open No. 56-128274/1981 discloses articles interiorly provided in the vehicle, such as car seats, the articles mainly consisting of a conjugated fiber of the sheath-core type, wherein only a sheath component is dyed. The object of the invention above mentioned is, however, to prevent the dye contained in the interiorly equipped articles of the vehicle from fading and discoloration, but is not to prevent the articles themselves, particularly the pile yarns of the carpet, from deterioration.